Stranded
by C3L35714
Summary: "Why in the world would we need our Pokémon on a cruise ship?" Why, in case the ship sinks, of course! Slight PokéShipping, IkariShipping, ContestShipping, but mostly friendshp! Details inside!
1. Chapter 1

**This is the preview/prlogue to ****_Stranded!_**** Review if this is a good idea and you want me to continue! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or its characters. **

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"No," Paul replied flatly. Reggie sighed. "C'mon, Paul. It'll be good for you. A cruise ship ride as a nice break from training. What could be better?"

"Anything. Especially training," he snapped back. "I have important things to do."

"Sorry, Paul, but you're going on this trip. There are no Pokémon allowed , and so I'm keeping them for the week. And you aren't getting them back until you come back from your trip. It isn't physically healthy for them - or you - to train nonstop. They'll be stronger, refreshed, after a good rest. I promise I'll actually have them train, not just lax around." Paul was about to say no, when he saw the determination in his older brother's eye. As stubborn and annoying as Reggie was, he had a point. Running his Pokémon down until they died of exhaustion wasn't exactly going to be helpful. Well, he supposed he was going on an unwanted cruise ship.

* * *

"Hey, Dawn! Hi, Ash!" an echoey voice said over the video phone. The bluenette girl and black-haired boy waved back.

"Hi Drew, hi May!" the girl chirped at the two on the other phone, presumably May and Drew.

"We won four boat ride tickets, they're for tomorrow afternoon til next week! Are you free?" May asked. Dawn and Ash looked at each other. Their friend and traveling partner Brock had gone to meet with his family for the week and make sure his parents and brother were running his gym correctly.

"Yeah, we're free. Should be fun!" Ash said happily.

"Awesome! But the cruise rules say that Pokémon aren't allowed, due to some past mistake," Drew added.

"No need to worry! Why in the world would we ever need Pokémon on a cruise ship?"

* * *

"Hey, Misty! There's, like, some mail for you!" Misty grumbled. Why did her sisters ALWAYS find a way to interrupt her free time?! "Hand it over," she called, drying her hands on a towel next to the pool. Lilly quickly entered the gym, dropped the letter in Misty's outstretched-hand, and dashed off. Misty opened the letter. It was from the Pokémon League, and filled with boring information. "Hi, great job as a gym leader, blah, blah, blah, cruise ship ride...free of payment?" Misty read. "Oh well, a cruise ride is a cruise ride. Looks like my challengers are going to have to wait!"

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"Hey, we'll be right back, okay, Ash?" May and Dawn were planning to explore the ship, while Drew wanted to talk to the captain about the ship. Heaven only knew why. Ash, being Ash, knew nothing about the interior or exterior of the ship, and he didn't feel the need to find out. So, he was headed to the upper deck, one of the only few places he DID know where to find. After climbing the stairs, he was rewarded with the beautiful sight of the shining sea, and the vast openness of the blue sky.

"Wow, this place is so nice!" an EXTREMELY familiar voice coed. Ash whipped his head to the right, were he found a girl with fiery orange hair in a side ponytail, wearing denim shorts and a yellow shirt..."No way...Misty?" he asked hesitantly. The girl froze, then slowly turned around."Ash?!"

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**Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yes! I now have enough ideas to continue this on! Yay me! I hope you enjoy it! And may I present to you, the second chapter in _Stranded_!**

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"Who's this?" Dawn asked with a bright smile for Misty. Ash grinned hugely.

"This is Mist-er, Misty. She's the Cerlulean City Gym Leader in Kanto, my best friend, and my first traveling partner," he explained, and Misty glowed with pride inside. She hugged May and smiled at the rest of them.

"Hi everybody! Good to see you again, May."

"You too! This is Drew. And that's Dawn," she explained, and the five of them continued their mindless catching up.

They had been on the cruise ship for roughly three hours at that point, and were relxing in the girls' cabin. By some stroke of luck, Dawn, May, and Misty shared a cabin. Ash, Paul, and Drew were in the one next to theirs in the hall. That is, until Dawn spotted somebody lingering by the railings who looked rather out-of-place among the other, happy, relaxed cruise members.

"...Is that...PAUL!" she called, and waved to him. Paul turned his head slightly to see her, and she beamed. Then he turned around again as if nothing had happened, expect perhaps he had seen an exotic flying-type-Pokémon or something. Dawn fumed and marched over to him.

"You know, it's extremely rude not to answer someone who calls to you...!" she yelled, furious. He stood there, trying to block her out. Drew and May were looking at them in absolute shock.

"...Now I know what she meant by, "What happened to our princess?!" while I was in Sinnoh," May sweatdropped.

"Hmm, I like 'er!" Misty declared. "For a second there, I thought she was just going to blush and shrink away."

"She's only like that around Paul," Ash grinned humorously, not understanding how weighty that declaration really was.

"Anyway, I-" Drew was interrupted by the large horn blaring from the speakers, and the captain's voice was projected across the ship.

"All passengers! This is your captain speaking! Would all passengers please make their way to the lifeboats on the starboard of the ship? Er, the right side, the right side of the ship. Please do not panic or run, but make your way in an orderly fashion to the lifebosts. There appears to be a large malfunction with the engine, and I think we will lose all control of the boat in approximately half of an hour. Please make your way to the lifeboats in a calm and orderly fashion. Thank you."

The four trainers/coordinators looked at each other before Dawn, dragging Paul, came running up. "What should we do? I mean, to May and Misty and Ash. Because, you know, we do a lot of dangerous heroics on our journeys with Ash," she added, successfully earning a laugh from those mentioned.

"We go help the captain, of course!" Ash said it like there was no other option. And apparently, there was none for these brave (reckless) souls. With Drew being the only one who knew the way, the other five followed.

Upon finding the captain's room, Drew knocked soundly on the door. There was a crashing sound from inside, and the door swung open. A panicked-looking sailor quickly gasped in relief. "Thank goodness, people! Listen, the captain fainted after he gave teh announcement! I didn't know what to do with him! I couldn't leave him! I'm First Mate; I can't leave my captain or the ship," he blabbered out.

"Listen, sir! Get a hold of yourself! We'll take care of the ship. I know how to steer and sail a ship like this," Drew said quickly, prompting a surprised, "You do?" from May that went ignored.

The sailor seemed to be weighing his loyalties from his captain or his ship - captain won out, and he nodded and slung his captain over his shoulder. "Alright. Thank you very much, folks. I'll bring him out to the lifeboats. You - I hope you know what you're doing. You have half an hour before we lose the ship; get out long before then, ya hear?"

"Yes sir," Drew answered, and the sailor fled. Drew grasped for the gears and wheel, checking knobs and dials and muttering to himself. About five minutes later, he seemed to have run into a problem, and was frantically reading dials, but not touching the wheel at all. To everyone's surprise, Paul pointed out a meter Drew had missed.

"The gears on the lowest level of the base. They're too tight," he grunted, and spun the wheel a little to the left.

"...You can drive, er, steer a ship?" Dawn asked in shock, looking up at him. He shrugged and said, "None of your business."

They were quiet after that.

The two boys seemed to know what they were doing. None of the others had any clue, but May had to admire the angles from Drew's set jaw as he concentrated. The intense look in his emerald eyes...

"...you doing?" a quiet voice asked, sounding sly.

May shook herself and turned to Dawn. "Yes, sorry. Wasn't listening."

"What were you doing? There was a pretty dreamy look in your eyes...was it perhaps angled towards Drew?" she pried.

May blushed and waved her hands wildly. "No, nope. Uh-uh, no way!"

"Mm-hmm," she hummed thoughtfully, but was interrupted by a loud grinding sound, and Drew's shout.

"GET OUT! Get out, now!" he ordered. "No time to explain, but head back up towards the lifeboats, right this instant!"

The panic in his voice, usually so carefully controlled, scared May (and the others, to a lesser degree) and she pulled on his arm. "C'mon then! Let's go!" The group of six ran back the way they came, when Paul yanked May, who was in front at that point, out of the way from crossing into the hallway.

Not ten seconds later, a huge rush of water poured out in through the hallway.

The bottom of the hull had been pierced, letting gallons flow in by the second.

"Phew! Thanks, Paul!" May panted. She would've been swept away otherwise. He muttered a "Be more careful next time."

"Go left!" Misty called out. "There's another way up through there!" The actual danger had just set in for her. They were likely the only ones left on a sinking boat, on one of the lowest levels while water rushed in at them, trying its hardest to drown them.

"Got it! Let's go, guys!" Ash gestured for them to hurry, and hurry they did. Running became sprinting, and the six young teenagers were racing against the waters. Several times they had to backtrack down halls, until finally they made it on deck...

...only to see a huge crack in the center of the ship.

"Where do we go?" Dawn asked, looking at both sides as the crack widened. Half of the ship was sinking straight down, and the other thus being lifted up to the point of collapsing. Neither were good options.

"Always go up!" Drew grabbed May (being the closest, OF COURSE) and pulled her towards the railing on top. The others, using the railings as a climbing point, tried their best to walk up a fast-becoming-vertical-wall. May was on top, then Misty, then Ash, then Drew, then Dawn, and then Paul.

There was a sudden heave as the tired ship reached its (first) limit. The ship began to sink vertically, and the lurch forced May to lose her grip. With a scream, she fell past Misty, and Ash, both of whom lunged for her. Then she slid past Drew, and then Dawn, and Paul-

-but Paul stretched out and snatched her elbow at the last second, preventing both May and Drew from falling - the latter of which was about to jump after the former - into the large rubble of the ship.

Paul pulled May onto the railing, where she clung, pale and fearful. The ship creaked again, and the crack grew past four feet wide, past six feet, past eight feet, where they all sincerely hoped it would stay.

"Go," Paul gently but very firmly pushed Dawn to climb higher onto the railing, and grabbed May's hand, as she was clearly too frail at the moment to save herself. Dragging her with him, Paul doubled his efforts.

And it seemed to be working - until Misty and Ash reached the top, where all six soon huddled. As of it couldn't get any worse...

..."GYARADOS!" Misty yelled, pointing. Indeed, there were at least a dozen, very angry-looking Gyarados. Before they could say anything more, the Pokémon all began to charge up a very familiar looking attack move, golden in color and possibly deadly to humans.

Hyper Beam.

"HOLD HANDS!" Dawn shrieked, and they did so. "AND DON'T LET GO!"

The attack came swiftly and forcefully, blowing into the hull of the ship. With a bang, the power radiating off of the Hyper Beam sent the six people into the air, away from the shipwreck.

And as they flew, their hands slipped apart.

The last thing any of them saw was the blast of a ship blowing up.

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**!BOOM! ...I just felt like it was relative. :) Okay, so I haven't done this before, but I'm going to have to ask for at least five reviews from different people before I can add another chapter. More would be fantastic, but at least five reviews! Thanks~!**

**5 REVIEWS OR NO CHAPTER! Just to reiterate. :) Thanks everybody for reading!**

**Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so I'm just going to publish this because even though I don't actually have five reviews (I have four), I think that I'll let it go this time. :( I did want the five reviews, though. But anyway, enjoy!**

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~Misty's POV~

SPLASH! The cold impact from the water wakes me up in a blink; water always does that. Instinctively, I start to tread water, which is probably a really good thing. The last thing I remember is Dawn shrieking about holding hands...But why?

Oh, yeah.

Now I remember. Hum, how'd I forget that? Anyway-Ash! Where is he? I look around frantically. Ash, please be okay! All around me, I see blue. The sky is a light blue with fluffy white clouds that taunt me with their innocence while Ash is lost somewhere, maybe even drowning. AUGH! This is not helping whatsoever!

The ocean seems to stretch out forever, and it's a beautiful color, reflecting greens and dark blues. But really, it's just distracting right now, I-

ASH! There he is! It has to be him! I paddle over, and as I near him, I can see that I'm correct. By some stroke of luck, he landed flat on his back, which, though will probably hurt like heck later, is keeping him afloat and alive.

"Ash, wake up!" I grab his shoulders, and lift one of his arms around my shoulders, starting to kick as if doing backstroke. I try to remember my classes about rescuing an unconscious person. I think I'm doing everything right.

"Ow!" Suddenly, my head crashes into something hard, and I glare backwards. Then my glare turns into a grin; I hit my head on an upturned table! That has to be the best luck I've ever had! Ya know, except for finding Ash and all.

I hoist Ash onto the table and clamber on myself. Somehow, this amazing piece of wood has just saved both my and Ash's lives! But now, I have to figure out what to do next...

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~Dawn's POV~

"Wake up, Dawn! Wake up," a voice is telling me, and I force my eyes open. All I see is light blue...hey, that's the sky. Okay, that's a good start. Then I see a patch of green. Light green that looks very familiar.

"Hello? Dawn? Can you remember anything?" the voice asks again, and I tilt my head towards the person. Drew!

"Drew!" I exclaim my thought.

He smirks. "Guess you do." I sit up more and realize that we're sitting on a trunk of some sort. And I'm sitting upright...so where was my head? Realization strikes, and I almost gasp. Drew sees the look on my face and barks, "Freeze!"

I do, heart racing, and he sighs, his face a little pink. "If you move, you'll knock us both off. And yes, your head was on my shoulder. How else was I supposed keep you alive?"

I sigh; "Good point." But where's Paul? And Ash, and May, and Misty?...Why did I think of them in that order? I guess thinking about Ash first would make sense; I know him best. But...Paul? I'm thinking of Paul first? Why?

I don't know why, but I do know my face is getting warm and Drew is looking at me funny.

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~Ash's POV~

What the heck is going on? My eyes are shut, I'm lying on something soft but warm, and everything smells salty. I force my eyes open, but instantly shut them; it's way too bright.

"Ash? Are you awake?" I hear. Shading my eyes, I open them again, and see Misty.

"Mist!" Suddenly, she's hugging me tight, her face nestled close to mine. My face heats up, and I have to grin.

"I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Me too. Er, about you, not me. I mean, I'm glad for me too, but...ah, where are we?" Wow, that was a fail. Well, don't blame me; it was confusing!

"I don't know. After the Gyarados Hyper Beamed the ship, I saw it explode. When I hit the water, I woke up, and found you. And then I found a table and I used it to get us here - I think we're on an uninhabitated island," she says quickly.

"Uninhabited? But-wait, what about the others?" May and Dawn and Drew and Paul are still out there somewhere!

"I know. I just had to save you first. We'll look for them, I promise. And we'll find them," she tells me.

"I hope they're okay."

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~Paul's POV~

Stuck on a boat that explodes. Magnificent. What a waste of time. I woke up about three minutes ago with my head and chest atop a large piece of wood, and my lower half freezing, and in the water. What it was, I don't know and I don't care. It's just a flat piece of wood, probably an old table or something.

The girl from before, the coordinator, is on it too. When I woke up, she was laying on it in front of me. My guess is, she found this...thing, and then me. Judging by the sun's position, I'd say it's been about...maybe three hours since the ship blew up.

What's her name again? I don't suppose it would be very appropriate to call her The Girl Who Saved My Life After I Saved Hers Twice, even if its just in my head. May, I think it is. Yes, May.

I think that May saved me and fell asleep from all the...excitement wouldn't be the right word. From all the commotion. As long as she's alive.

Everything I can see is blue. Blue skies, blue waters. And the dark blue hair of a certain troublesome girl I know-

Where did that come from? I swear, this seawater is messing with my mind.

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**Voilà! Seriously though, if you all think someone else is going to review, then no one will. And everybody loses. So be nice to yourself, fellow readers, and me by reviewing please! Many thanks to those who did!**

**Thank you list:**

**1. Meliaantiqua- Thank you for the review! I have never watched Lost, so it's not based on that. I'm going to keep the second answer to myself. :)  
****2. reppad98- Thanks for the kind words! Glad you like it! Yes, that's my intention. I think that two of those are showing strong hints in this chapter (I think so, at least. Well, you can probably I'm adding some NeverMetFriendShipping. (NeverMetShipping is between two people that are assumed to fit well even though they've never met. An example is BelleShipping, for Drew x Dawn. But I added the Friend part.)  
****3. xToxicWaste- Thanks so much for being my first reviewer! It was a great booster!  
****4. Geneviève- Thanks! You were what basically made me post this!  
****5. DapieisTasty, LuvDawn, Meliaantiqua,XxCherriesandChocolatexX, and reppad98 for putting this on your story alert list!  
****6. HyperionX, dragonitetrainer, xToxicWaste- Thanks for favoriting (I think I just made up a new word) this! :)**

**Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, people! Wow, this was a fast update! :) Thanks to you awesome people who have reviewed! :) This is for y'all!**

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~Drew's POV~

It's got to be around 7:00 at night, maybe later. Since Dawn woke up, we've just been drifting. After all, we're sitting on a wooden trunk in the middle of an ocean with no food, water, or way of communication. Neither of us have slept at all, and each of us are scouring our blue surroundings for anything that might help. Not that it's working. All I can see is a huge expanse of blue. Well, there are some white clouds, and the ocean is tinted a nice blue-green, there's a little tan-colored dot to my direct left, Dawn's scarf, while soaked, is red...

...wait, what? I look over, squinting. I must be dreaming. I nudge Dawn, and she twists awkwardly around to face me. We're each facing the opposite way, and so she has to turn her head quite a bit. "Yes?" Her voice is slightly parched-sounding.

"Am I imagining things, or is that land?" She squints too, then her face lights up.

"No, I think you're right!"

Excellent. "Now we might not actually die," I remark.

"...Now the question is...how do we get there?" I have to resist groaning out loud. This is gonna be hard.

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~May's POV~

Gosh, what an exciting - well, maybe not exciting, as exciting is generally positive - day! Paul says that he thinks it is about 8:00. That makes sense. Already it's getting darker; the sun is setting and the moon is rising quickly.

"I don't see any land. We're going to be stuck here, at least for the night," Paul says suddenly, and I almost jump. I'm still unused to his gruffness and abrupt way of doing things.

"Alright."

"We're lucky: it's not very cold tonight. If it were twenty degress lower, we might be dead by now."

I shiver. "Well, I'm certainly glad that's not us right now!" If only I had known.

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~Ash's POV~

Okay. So, we're stranded on an isolated island (Sounds pretty cool, don't it?) with no way to get help or know where we are. I look up; the stars are already starting to peep out. It looks really cool, but that means we're about to be thrown into darkness.

Right now, Misty and I are sitting side-by-side and looking at the stars. We probably have a lot more important things that we need to be doing, but after that scare, something is telling me to just enjoy the time I have with her.

Apparently she feels the same way. "You know, we really ought to find some food and shelter," she says with a worried expression.

"Look, Mist, it's already nighttime, and it's not even very cold. We'll just do all of that all day tomorrow, find our friends, and go home. It's not like we haven't gotten out of tight situations together before."

She smiles at me, a smile that warms my face, before yawning. It's cute. "Why don't you sleep right now, Misty?" She looks like she's about to argue with me, but all that sleeping and worrying she told me about must be getting to her, because she slips into a deep sleep, her breathing slow and rhythmatic. She looks...well, she looks like an Angel right now, with her perfect features faded a bit from the night.

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~Paul's POV~

She looks cold. Probably because she is. I am too. It's true that it's not unbearably cold, but it's very chilly, with winds picking up. I don't even know where they are taking us, but the winds, cold and sharp, are pushing us away from where we were drifting earlier.

I have nothing to figure out what time it is, but I do know that if the sun set around 8:00, then it will rise around 5 or 6:00. The sooner the better; it's not getting any warmer here.

Or comfortable. I'm not the type to need a pillow and sheets, but we're not in exactly a natural position. When I woke up, my entire lower half was underwater, with my face and arms resting on the table-wreck. May was across from me in the same position, though she was treading water. Well, we got bored - and tired - from that in only a few hours; it was obvious that we couldn't stay in that position for much longer. So we were switching off; right now May is sitting on top of the table and drying her hair off to the side.

"Paul?" I grunt and look up. May is looking at me with concern. "It's getting cold. Why don't you switch with me?"

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Look, I know you haven't given yourself a fair share of warmth here. You're no superhero; no one is. Plus, I need you alive and unfrozen when we really do find...shelter...of any sort." It's true; I was supposed to switch off a long time ago. I sigh. That look on her face is so familiar; it's the same as Dawn's when she's determined beyond reason. "Fine." We switch places, and without meaning to, I fall asleep.

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~Ash's POV~

Wow, it's dark. If the moon weren't so full, I probably wouldn't even be able to - yawn - see anything. Wow, I can't remember being this tired before...Seriously - yawn - I've probably been awake for...maybe...almost twenty hours? Wow...Mmm...I really want to fall asleep.

I turn a little to get comfortable, but I freeze when I see Misty. She's sleeping so peacefully, it's as if she were a princess of some sort. I reach out a hand instinctively before snapping back. What am I doing?! Whatever...I'm too tired to work this out right now. But really, I...

I look at Misty again. She looks so innocent and...almost...delicate. I have never even imagined thinking that before, but suddenly a horrifying image flashes through my mind: Misty being dragged away by some dark force, and I'm completely sleeping and unable to save her.

I shudder. No. No, I will stay awake, for the sole purpose to keep Misty safe. "...After all, she's the most important thing in the whole world..."

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**I know what you're thinking: What happened to Drew and Dawn? *wink* Guess you'll just have to read on~!**

**To reppad98 and anyone else who is wondering: Thank you so much for catching those mistakes! However, I accidently deleted that Document already, and long-story-short, it will take me a VERY long time to retype it (because I can't copy/paste), so unfortunately, those (horrible) spelling issues will have to stay. :( And the reason I put Drew and Dawn to the side is because of what you pointed out! :)**

**Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Voilà! Here is chapter 5! Thanks to everyone who reviewed; this is for you!**

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~Misty's POV~

That was really nice, actually! I stretch, and smile as the first thing I see is the ocean. The sand is a lot more comfortable than I would have thought! Then I turn, and my smile widens as I see Ash. "Morning, Ash," I say.

He turns around to me and smiles back. "How'd ya sleep?"

"Great! I-" Then I get another look at him. His face is pale, and though he is clearly happy (as always) there are dark shadows underneath his eyes, and it's almost like he's swaying on his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He yawns.

"Did you not sleep well?"

"Oh, no; the sand was really soft," he tells me, and I can tell he's not giving me the right answer. But I don't really need to push him for it, so instead I rub my eyes and sit up completely.

"Well, then. I guess we should find some food, huh?" His tired eyes light up at the mention of food, just as I suspected. "Let's go!"

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~Ash's POV~

I don't want her to worry about me; that's why I don't answer her correctly when she asks, even though I'm totally drained. Besides, she seems preoccupied with finding food; that's something I can agree on! We decide not to split up, because that's when bad things always happen in stories.

This island is weird, though. It seems pretty big, especially for a deserted heap of land in the middle of the ocean. There are a bunch of huge rocks separating us from the other side of the island, and we can't see over it, but it doesn't seem like there's anything there. I try to climb over the rocks, and fall right off, almost knocking into Misty! We both try again and again, but we just can't get up the rock wall.

So instead, we will use the sea and sand as our shelter.

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~Paul's POV~

I never, never thought I'd ever say this in my ENTIRE life. But I will: I am so embarrassed. I can't believe I fell asleep. That is the absolutely stupidest thing I have ever done. Fallen asleep, when I ought to have been watching out for May. Or anyone else. Stupid!

She's assured me that it's alright so many times, but really. Really? For one of the most important parts, we have no way of knowing what time it is. Absolutely none, because May didn't pay attention. It wasn't her fault; it was my fault for falling asleep and ruining it. We have to wait for at least ten hours until the sun MIGHT be SOMEWHAT close to setting. That's a horrible estimation, a horrible thing to depend on. And for all we know, we might not make it until then. The sun is bright and hot though, and feels so nice after that cold last night; we're both in the water, making use of the sun while we have it.

"Paul..."

"What." Can she not see that I'm not in the mood?

"I...I...never mind." I think I scared her. Whatever; not my problem. There's silence now; the only sound is the lapping of the waves and the cry of a Wingull overhead-

I jerk my head up, eyes scanning for the Pokémon. There! It's flying to my left. I point it out to May. "We have to follow that Pokémon. It's got to be flying somewhere." She nods and starts to kick off. Finally, we might be getting somewhere.

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~Dawn's POV~

Oh...my...goodness. I'm panting, and lying on my back. That has to be the most exhausting thing I have ever done. The thing is, our trunk had no way for us to be on it and swim at the same time. Plus, you know, I'm not exactly a good swimmer. So what we did was, I took off my scarf and boots, tied them to the top of the trunk, and both Drew and I jumped off and started to swim, pushing the trunk with us. I wanted to ditch the thing, but Drew told me not to. Anyway, swimming the mile or so AGAINST THE CURRENT was like the hardest thing in the world. I've hardly ever swum before, so on top of pushing the trunk and swimming himself, Drew had to teach me too!

And I thought I was tired!

Anyway, we swam all yesterday. When the sun set and my limbs aching, Drew told me to keep going. Seriously? Is he absolutely crazy? But I did as he said, and we pushed on until I couldn't even see his face. We both slept for a good while, our heads right above the trunk, awkwardly draped over it.

But we've made it! It's the next morning, and we have just swum a lot faster. To make matters even worse, Drew actually fell off the trunk while we were swimming, and bonked his head. He wasn't knocked out or anything, but that means he was forced to grit his teeth and keep going. Without him, we both know it would have taken a lot longer for me alone to try.

"Hey," he says suddenly, though his breathing is ragged.

"Hey," I reply.

"I can't believe...we're actually...alive!" he gasps. I know exactly what he means.

"We're alive!" I repeat, and he says it again after me. We burst into laughter. I have absolutely no clue what's so very funny, but I can't stop laughing. For some reason, it's just like I absolutely have to. He laughs along with me. I think it's relief.

"Why...why the heck are we laughing?" he asks me.

"I have no idea!" I choke out, and we just look at each other. But seeing his - precious, May says - hair wet and dripping and his skin pale sets me off again. He does too; I know I look worse with m long hair. It takes us a long time to stop laughing. Never mind; I doubt it's relief; I think we're crazy from no food or water (and hardly any sleep, at that) coupled with the fact that we just got BLOWN UP that is throwing us off. I relay this to Drew, who nods.

We just lay panting for a long while, until finally Drew speaks up again. With two words, he manages to sum up exactly what I'm thinking: "This sucks."

"Oh, absolutely. Stuck on an island with no food, water, shelter, Pokémon, or any idea of where we are."

I groan. "This was not what I was asking for when I got on a cruise ship!"

* * *

~Drew's POV~

Well, besides being exhausted, hurt, and likely crazy, there's a good dose of confusion and awkwardness. Like, from Dawn. I know it's a wild assumption to make, but when a girl is blushing after you've just saved her life and her head was resting on your shoulder? I'm not saying I don't like her at alll, or that I like her like THAT - c'mon, I haven't even known her for a week! Barely two days, at that! So, it's just awkward.

Honestly, it is. She's acting normally now, and I really think she'd be a great - no, fantastic - friend, and trust me, I don't have many. But I don't want to give the wrong message...It's a real head-scratcher.

Anyway, we've just gotten up and are examining the island from the edge that we landed on. It's large, and there are trees! Not very tall or large (or many of them at that) but they're trees.

* * *

~Dawn's POV~

"This is good. Where there are plants, there is food. And where there is food, there is water," Drew tells me, and I put my hands on my hips. "Yes, I am aware of that, Drew."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Just saying, because we haven't eaten or drank in nearly a day, so..."

"Well, then! Let's see what kind of food there is-"

"Not yet."

"Why not? I thought you said you were hungry!"

"And if there are wild Pokémon that live on this island?" I grumble at that. Whatever yourself, Drew; I'm hungry!

* * *

~May's POV~

Paul has been beating himself up about falling asleep all day! Sure it's all silent, but still, I wish he wouldn't feel so badly about it; it was the best thing for both of us for him to get some rest. I try to tell him this, but he doesn't seem to listen - or want to listen. I sigh out loud. We've been chasing that Wingull for at least four hours, probably more, and my legs are tired of kicking. But the Pokémon is still going! Honestly; this is so...ugh. This is NOT the relaxing cruise ship ride Drew and I were promised, let me tell you that!

* * *

**Ooh...and there's our Drew-and-Dawn-problem...Wow, seems like everyone's on a different place, huh? Some PokéShipping from Ash's part on the island, safe...And Paul and May? Are they on a wild goose chase? (Or should that be a wild Wingull-chase?)**

**Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Voilà! Alrighty then, here you go!**

* * *

~May's POV~

I'm worried about Paul. He has been pushing himself nonstop, it's not good for anyone, determined or not. Speaking about determined, what is WRONG WITH THAT WINGULL?! It's been flying for just as long as we have, and it's still going! Granted, it IS a flying-type, but come on? Really? Why won't it just tire out and land somewhere where we can find food and drinkable water?! Oh, right: and some help.

* * *

~Paul's POV~

My muscles are begging me to stop and rest. I haven't stopped swimming for hours, and I know that May is worried about me. But I don't care. I don't DO begging, and nor do I give up when I have the choice. And besides, what does it matter if she's worried about me? No one has ever worried about me; people worry about those against me. I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm not. It's true.

But still, I suppose it might be nice to have someone - besides Reggie, the few times he is - worry.

I suppose.

* * *

~Ash's POV~

Well, good news! Upon searching - all day, I might mention - we've found a plant! It's exactly one; but the berries - I don't remember what they're called; sue me - are edible, Misty says. There are exactly twenty berries on the plant, though. That's not a lot. Misty clears her throat. "Alright! So, we've been separated from the boat for, say, two days. Well, it's the second day now, so that counts! I bet by now that someone has noticed that the cruise ship isn't responding to radio signals and sent out a search party. It ought to take three days for them to find the people on the lifeboats, and another to do a final head count. That'll be three days. Then they'll send someone to find us, and that'll take two or three days for them to find us. So, we'll be here for about a week." She turns to me. "What do you think?"

"Personally, I stopped understanding after "alright." But if you say so, then okay," I admit, shrugging.

Misty sighs. "And that's fifteen or so meals...and twenty berries. Well, good thing they're large, and ripe, at that."

I groan to myself, but keep a straight face. "Well, take one!" I grin, and grab a large berry. I chuck it at Misty, who just manages to catch it. "A plant needs water to grow, right? Fresh water! Let's go find some!" She blinks at me for a second.

"Aren't you hungry?"

'YES.' "We need water!" I say instead, and duck behind the berry bush. Sure enough, there's a small but seemingly constant supply of water. "See, look!" I break off a leaf from the plant and twist it until it resembles something like a cup, then scoop out some of the water. Before long, there's about half a cup's worth, and I brandish it at Misty. "Ta-da! Here ya go," I tell her. Misty looks at me like I've lost it. 'It' being my mind, if anyone's wondering.

"You...what?"

"What's the matter, Misty?"

* * *

~Misty's POV~

Doesn't he want it? And what about the food?! Ash would normally scarf it all down before I could blink. "Um, Ash? Are you alright?"

"'Course I am, Mist! When am I not?" Well, that's Ash alright.

The question is, why isn't he eating?

* * *

**Dun-dun-DUHH~! *ahem* Well, what do you think? Why ISN'T Ash eating? Is the world coming to an end?! I certainly hope not! Because if it does, will we ever find out what happened to Drew and Dawn? **

**Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry! I think I've missed two weeks of updates to this poor, neglected story. Thanks for coming back to read, to my...um, people-who-came-back-to-read! :P :) Hopefully this is long enough to count as acceptable! :D**

* * *

~Ash's POV~

"'Course I am, Mist! When am I not?" I question, and Misty's unease fades just a bit.

"But...normally you're always hungry. It's not even arguable: Ash Ketchum needs and loves food," she urges, looking at me like I've a few loose screws upside the head (I heard Max saying this once, when Brock was going all love-struck).

I struggle with my answer, not wanting to tell her the truth. "Sure, I guess. But I' okay right now. I ate a huge lunch on the ship," I tell her truthfully, glad for some honesty.

"Well, okay, I suppose." She stares at the berry for a while as if it's a crystal ball. Ooh, I love those things! They're so shiny, seriously! I've seen a bunch of them, and some of them look like rainbows, all sparkley and pretty and stuff. They reminded me of a beach ball in the bright, bright sun! That's why I tried to bounce it on the floor...Note to self: Ash, crystal balls are not beach balls, and they will not bounce.

"...okay? Hello? Ash?" I shake myself out of my rainbow/beach ball/crystal ball/sparkly daydream and look at her.

"Sorry, what?"

She sighs heavily. "They taste pretty good; sweet. Are you sure you don't want any?"

YES, YES I DO. "Nah, I'm okay. I'll eat some later, 'kay?"

"A-Are you sure?"

NO! "Yup." Only when she turns away to inspect the water do I sigh and put a hand to my empty tummy.

* * *

~Drew's POV~

"Dawn, I'm serious. Those berries..."

"What is it?" she asks. It's not annoyed, but impatient. If that makes sense...Okay, so I don't make any sense right now; so what? I'm hungry and thirsty and tired, and I really don't feel like myself. Secretly, I want to go and grab a berry myself and swallow it whole, but I restrain myself and walk over in a normal fashion.

I examine the berries, remembering a book I once read about poffin-making. It talks about which berries are safe for humans and Pokémon, or both. Or neither. But honestly, doing that makes me think of Roselia (and the others, of course). I really wish I could have brought them along with me, but I know that they are probably having a blast with Solidad.

I pull my focus back to the berries when a page from the book lodges in my memory. "Dawn, don't touch that plant," I point quickly, and she reels, tripping in her bare feet and collapsing against me. My instincts strike faster than my common sense, and I catch her before I decide if I want to or not. (Just kiding; I'd catch her. But that's not the point.)

"Oops...um, sorry," Dawn mumbles, blushing. I shrug and pop her back to her feet.

"Let's try not to make it a habit."

"Sorry. Um, anyway...what's with these berries?" The light from the midday sun glow on the plant, showing the tell-tale purple berries with yellow stripes and pointed leaves.

"Well, they're poisonous."

"Ah. That's a good reason, then."

* * *

~May's POV~

"The Wingull is moving." I glance over at the nearly silent boy beside me. "Turn right, slightly."

"Alright." There's an (or really, another) awkward pause, and I sigh. "When do you think this Pokémon is going to find a place to land?" I ask in exasperation. As if my wish was heard and we were put in the good graces of said Pokémon, it swerved and began to lower itself by the water! "Yes!"

I can swear that Paul gave a sigh of relief.

...

Actually, I can't. Because then he'd probably kill me. But I know there was a gleam of liberation (it means freedom; Solidad taught me after Drew...never mind) in his cold eyes, showing itself to me as the sun begins to set.

* * *

~Ash's POV~

I haven't eaten in about 48 hours. I am hungry. Now, I bet you're wondering why I'm not eating, like, anything. Well, it's pretty easy, actually. Since there are a very limited number of berries, I'm saving them for Misty! I'll probably eat a couple, but when we get rescued, they will have food for me to eat. And that's when I'll eat. And eat, and eat, and eat. But for now, those berries will have to go to Misty.

That's just how the world works: Misty gets the good stuff.

Wait, now it sounds like I'm being forced! To straighten it out: I'm not being forced. It's just that I think that Misty should have the food. Why, though? Hmm...I'm not quite sure myself. It's not like she needs it any more than I do, it's just that something is telling me that Misty deserves the best that I can offer, though.

ANYWAY, it's in the afternoon now, and my stomach is starting to hurt; I'm really, really hungry...maybe a berry won't hurt after all-

"Hey, Ash?"

"Yup?"

Misty is about to ask me something when her stomach rumbles and she puts a hand to it, her face red. "Sorry..."

"Don't be sorry; eat a berry! Hey, that sort of rhymes!" I grin to myself; I like rhyming. Misty looks at me doubtfully, but shakes her head.

"I'll be alright. But Ash, I...um...I'll be right back, okay? Just, like...stay on this side of the island? I...um..." Her face flushes. "I kind of...have to use the bathroom..."

Oh. I blush and turn. "You know what, these clouds are so interesting!"

* * *

~Paul's POV~

Finally. That Wingull is coming in to land...where, I'm not sure. I know that Wingull have to begin to lower themselves for a good while before they land, so we probably missed the landing point due to fatigue and hunger. May gives a happy laugh and we swim faster.

I can't wait. This trip needs to be over, and I need to give Reggie a talking-to about deciding what's best for me and what isn't.

But I re-focus myself and we follow the Wingull. I can't tell where it's going to land, though, because I don't see any boats.

Then the Pokémon lands. And that's when I feel like drowing myself, which honestly wouldn't be a very hard task right now.

* * *

~May's POV~

"WHAT?!" I shriek, and Paul grimaces, glaring. But I know that the glare isn't for me. It's for this darned Wingull! The Pokémon is supposed to lead us to help, to safety, to food! Instead, it parks its tail feathers right there in the water and takes a nice little nap.

I feel like screaming. Now we really don't know where we are, and we've waisted hours chasing this stupid thing! I know it isn't right to be mad at a Pokémon, but I am nothing but mad.

Actually, I'm tired too. And hungry. And thirsty. And annoyed.

Ooh, and scared. Because Paul does not look any happier than I feel. He looks much, much angrier. Darn it.

* * *

~Ash's POV~

"Well, goodnight, Misty," I yawn, and she lies down next to me in the soft sand.

"Goodnight, Ash." It's quiet for a while; I'm just watching th stars. There are a lot of stars out here, and they're really pretty. It's nice to see something besides a painted white roof. In fact-

"It reminds me of our traveling days together. The stars, I mean."

"That's exactly what I was going to say!"

Misty laughs a little. "I know." Another silence, and when she speaks again, her voice is soft and quiet from drowsiness. "If there's anything good about being stranded on an island...it's being stranded with you...I've missed you so much, Ash...You don't even know..." And she was asleep, her solid breathing somehow managing to take up the huge space.

"Oh, I know." It's whispered into the darkness, but that's alright. "I know just how hard it was. Because I felt the same way."

* * *

**There we go, another day in this mess! Again, I hope you liked it, and I hope it makes up for missing so much time! **

**(Also, please don't ask me why there are only berries on this island, or why it was just now that I mentioned that they are actually people who need to use the bathroom, or where the heck the Wingull came from, or why I'm not focusing on Drew and Dawn! (*huff, puff*) Because somethings are purposefully mysterious, or just unimportant plotholes, or just plain gross to write. :) **

**But other than that, how do you like it so far?**

**Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally, we're back to this story! :)**

* * *

~Dawn's POV~

"Wait, what?!" Suddenly, what Drew has said sinks in. "These things are poisonous!" I groan when he nods. "Oh, that's just peachy..."

"Well, most of them are poisonous. There are a few here that aren't," he observes.

"But, we'll stay far away, right? Because, are they contagious?" I ask. They might all spoil from one bad berry. Aw, that should be a book; One Bad Berry-

"We're not here to make a child's book, Dawn." I'm still getting used to Drew's sarcastically dry humor; it makes me jump. Paul doesn't really attempt at humor, and Ash...well, he doesn't really have to try, per say, to make everyone laugh. Heh heh. Oh, Ash.

"...ello, Dawn?" Drew snaps his fingers in my face. "Are you even aware that you're thinking aloud?"

"What?" He groans. "Great. And by the way your blabber sounds, I'd say you're going delirious."

"Delirious?" I shriek. "Am I gonna die? This is absolutely maddening! How can I possibly be delirious?! Is that a disease? Did I catch it from the water? Anything is possible, you know!" I tell Drew, totally serious. For some reason, he sighs. "Why? What have I done? Oh, no, Drew, you must have it too! It might be contagious! Oh, I know just what to do!" I adamantly pound my fist into the other hand as a brilliant idea strikes me. "We can't have each other catching it from each other! I'll build us a sand castle, and you can live on one end, and I'll live on the other! Then we won't say anything to each other, we won't touch each other, and we won't get each other sick! Isn't this just perfect?!"

* * *

~Drew's POV~

...Yup.

She's lost it.

* * *

~Ash's POV~

It's our third morning; the second night has passed. And sheesh; I don't think I have ever been so tired or hungry before. It's all I can do but start talking really - REALLY - loudly to hide my growling tummy. Our berry supply of twenty has shrunk to seventeen; one per "meal" and water is what Misty has. I just go watch her. (Wow, that sounds pretty creepy.) But I'm hungry, and those berries look so good; they are a bright red with green leaves. "...you even listening to me?" Misty has been saying, and I snap to attention.

"Sorry."

She rolls her eyes. "Eat a berry, Ash. I demand it."

"Demand?" My mouth feels dry as I see her eyes flare with determination.

"Yes, demand, Ash Ketchum! I, Misty, say that you have orders from me to eat at least one berry and drink at least one cup filled with water!" She holds out both, glaring at me. "Eat!"

* * *

~Misty's POV~

This is perfect. This is the way I will get Ash Ketchum to eat, and not starve himself to death. Why he isn't eating, I really have no idea. And he seems to be constantly swaying on his feet and yawning, like he didn't get any sleep. I brandish the berry at him. "Eat it, Ash!"

"B-But, Misty, I'm not hung-" And that's when his stomach grows, louder than I have ever heard from him (and that is certainly saying something)! Ash's face turns red, but he just scowls. A huge epiphany occurs to me - Ash is doing all of this pretending for me.

I look at him closely. There are dark marks under his eyes indeed, and his eyes are tired and dull. "Ash," I say in my no-nonsense-voice, "When was the last time you slept?"

There is a very long pause before he sighs and looks down at his feet - which are bare, by the way; our shoes were so water-logged that we just tossed them. "...The night before we got on the ship," he admits, and I gasp. So I was right after all. He wasn't sleeping at night. "And the last time you ate?"

"...On the ship."

"But, Ash, why?" My eyes begin to blur with tears.

"Because!" he suddenly yells. "I've gotta protect you! What if there's something past the boulders?! What if the tide comes in high? What if it gets too cold? I gotta watch out for you, Misty! I can't sleep!" His mouth shuts and his face flushes, but I've already heard it all. It's all a huge sacrifice that he'a actually willing to take, no matter what the consequences are, because it's for my own good! A smile slowly breaks across my face, and I instinctively hug him, probably scaring the daylights out of him as well.

I love you, Ash Ketchum.

* * *

~Drew's POV~

Dawn is delirious from the exposure and exhaustion, I know it now. She was never the strongest to begin with, and being in the water for almost forty-eight hours clearly took its toll. But the berries-! There are tons of them, most of which I recognize. Some are for humans, some are for Pokémon, some are for both, and then there are the purple-and-yellow poisonous ones. "Wait, Drew! Are you suuure they're poisonous?"

I sigh and press my fingers against my temples. "Yes, I'm sure. But it's a different kind of poison. They won't kill you, or hurt you permanently. But they will make you delirious. Well, even more so," I mutter to myself.

Dawn falls quiet for a moment, and I breathe a sigh of relief. And then it's over. "Wait...am I delirious? What's that again? And where is Piplup?" Then her face goes white. "PIPLUP!" Her eyes dart around and her hands fly to her face, letting out a cry. "Piplup? Piplup! Where are you, Piplup! And Buneary! Pachirisu! Mamoswine! Where are you guys?"

I don't know what to tell her.

Unfortunately, she finds out the answer herself. Sort of. "Piplup! There you are!" She takes off, and I whirl around in surprise, only to see Dawn hugging...

...a rock. It's about a foot tall and almost perfectly smooth, but it's a rock. She is hugging a rock, twirling around and grinning, laughing happily. An urge to knock her out with the rock hits me, but I growl and wave it off. Now I have to watch this crazy, temporarily unstable girl, as well as myself so I don't end up like that too.

We're doomed.

* * *

~Misty's POV~

I get Ash to eat the berry and drink the water, and then another berry, and then another cup of water, but he refuses any more. Then I drag him over to the sand - er, you know, part of the sand; that's all that this island is! - and say, "Sleep."

"What?" he blinks.

"Sleep, Ash. I'll be okay; it's broad daylight and high tide already passed. Plus, there isn't much of a high tide anyways." Ash looks about to argue, but I can't let him do that. "C'mon, Ash. Sleep." He falls asleep without another word, snoring loudly. It's almost cute, I have to admit that to myself.

* * *

**Okay, so I've never met a delirious person before, so this is the best that I've got. What do you think is happening to Paul and May? Are the going to drown? Is Drew going to knock Dawn out with a rock? Is Ash ever going to wake up? Stay tuned! :)**

**Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)**


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